Was there a special fish you always wanted but never got?

[Tanked]

As a young fish keeper, I always wanted a Clown Knife because it reminded me of something else: a Greyhound bus.

I never got it because even I knew that putting it in my 29 was a bad idea. When my parents found out that it preferred live food, the conversation ended.  By the time I moved (out) and up to a 75 gallon, I had decided that shoaling fish would be a much better idea.

[Biotope Biologist]

You know there was an old exotic fish shop in Everett that closed when I was in highschool. The guy claimed his clown knife was nearly 15. It was nearing the 3 foot mark so it’s possible it was that old but who in their right mind would buy a senior citizen knife for $500. Maybe it’s like those car guys who don’t actually want to get rid of their car so they mark it up astronomically to keep the friends and family off their back.

 

I digress. For me the penultimate I would love to keep if they weren’t such a pain would be the tiger shovelnose cat. It’s impossible to come across a more beautiful catfish and I have a serious weakness toward any fish with whiskers.

 

interestingly that same shop had 2 ft cats shoved in a 500 gallon and even that felt way too small.

[Guppysnail]

Each and every time I have seen a clown fish from childhood to this day I have wanted one with all my heart.  Every time I come home and look a bit into the how to of a saltwater tank. I get about 3 paragraphs in and remember why I don’t want a saltwater tank  🤪

[laritheloud]

Puffers. I absolutely adore pufferfish, always have since I was a little girl. They're just too adorable! But I don't think I'm cut out for staying on top of their unique feeding needs, though, and it seems like a lot to commit to in providing a single-species environment for them. My brother and his wife keep pea puffers (and they breed ricefish) instead of me.

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

On 2/19/2022 at 4:33 PM, Biotope Biologist said:

Maybe it’s like those car guys who don’t actually want to get rid of their car so they mark it up astronomically to keep the friends and family off their back.

Actually as a classic car enthusiast we do that because well, everything has its price- and there's always someone willing to pay it. Might take a while- but I've seen it happen. Had a friend that put a tiny custom made vinyl sticker on the driver's side windshield with a high but still fair price (for a 67 Chevelle Supersport). We all met at car shows for years when he finally did get what he asked for it. 

If you've ever watched American Pickers they have a saying, What's the not going to sell it price?

Edited February 20, 2022 by xXInkedPhoenixX

[Biotope Biologist]

On 2/19/2022 at 4:57 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

Actually as a classic car enthusiast we do that because well, everything has its price- and there's always someone willing to pay it. Might take a while- but I've seen it happen. Had a friend that put a tiny custom made vinyl sticker on the driver's side windshield with a high but still fair price (for a 67 Chevelle Supersport). We all met at car shows for years when he did get what he asked for it. 

As a fellow car enthusiast I hope that you did not take that as a slight. There is a rarity and a price for rarity. My car is getting pricey, and if I did not attach so much sentimentality to it, I’d be on that same train. 😊

 

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

@Biotope BiologistI absolutely didn't take it that way. 🙃 I can fit your car in my trunk.....

[Fonske]

A snakehead. Graceful, chill, leopard-spotted, and air-breathing. Young snakeheads in local ponds look amazing.. big ones are food, so I kind of had them, just not as pets. 

[Widgets]

In my youth I caught a Florida Flag fish. It was beautiful, but I had no idea what it was or how to care for it. This was long before cell phones and the internet, so I had no way to research it. I ended up releasing it at the end of the trip. I have never seen one since. I may have to break down and buy some, but I would rather catch them. I would love to have a nice native Florida tank.

[Tanked]

On 2/19/2022 at 7:33 PM, Biotope Biologist said:

You know there was an old exotic fish shop in Everett that closed when I was in highschool. The guy claimed his clown knife was nearly 15. It was nearing the 3 foot mark so it’s possible it was that old but who in their right mind would buy a senior citizen knife for $500. Maybe it’s like those car guys who don’t actually want to get rid of their car so they mark it up astronomically to keep the friends and family off their back.

 

I digress. For me the penultimate I would love to keep if they weren’t such a pain would be the tiger shovelnose cat. It’s impossible to come across a more beautiful catfish and I have a serious weakness toward any fish with whiskers.

 

interestingly that same shop had 2 ft cats shoved in a 500 gallon and even that felt way too small.

I can see why you would like the Tiger Shovelnose just for the markings alone. 

A quick read on Aquariumsource.com provided a lot of info, including the potential of having a 4' fish! They suggest a 250 gallon minimum tank size for a single fish, so that 500 might have been a little short on space.

[Tanked]

On 2/19/2022 at 7:38 PM, Guppysnail said:

I get about 3 paragraphs in and remember why I don’t want a saltwater tank  🤪

You must have loved Finding Nemo.

My brother and his son espouse the wonders of a saltwater tank; and yet neither of them has one.  I vaguely remember my brother mumbling something about "never again..." as we loaded his onto the truck

[BlueLineAquaticsSC]

I’ve always been fond of red tailed cats, but I don’t have a swimming pool to keep one in. I also spent a week talking to everyone from DNR I could get a hold of to try and get a license to own a snakehead, they didn’t bite. My pike cichlid will probably be as close as I ever get.

[Jawjagrrl]

On 2/19/2022 at 8:17 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

@Biotope BiologistI absolutely didn't take it that way. 🙃 I can fit your car in my trunk.....

A beauty! Probably about the same age as me, which is when cars were still cool. I haven't bought a new one since 2001 - honestly haven't really liked anything made since then. My husband still misses his black on black early 70s impala - he used to keep an empty blue bonnet butter tub that he would put on the dash when he was in a hurry ;D

[Guppysnail]

On 2/20/2022 at 9:48 AM, Tanked said:

You must have loved Finding Nemo

Enough that I named my nerite Nemo 😁

[Jawjagrrl]

I always wanted seahorses - the birthing is amazing to watch. My favorite displays at the aquarium in Monterey are the jellyfish, but not enough to get into saltwater. 

[Tanked]

On 2/20/2022 at 10:28 AM, Jawjagrrl said:

I always wanted seahorses - the birthing is amazing to watch. My favorite displays at the aquarium in Monterey are the jellyfish, but not enough to get into saltwater. 

 

The Moon Jelleyfish displayed at the Newport Aquarium near me are my favorite also.   Unfortunately they don't have a Jelly cam like Monterey's.  Jelleyfish displays resemble living art.

[Jawjagrrl]

On 2/20/2022 at 10:52 AM, Tanked said:

 

The Moon Jelleyfish displayed at the Newport Aquarium near me are my favorite also.   Unfortunately they don't have a Jelly cam like Monterey's.  Jelleyfish displays resemble living art.

I pulled up a couple of the cams last night before bed for their zen value. My spouse isn't a nerm but is enjoying our fish - he liked the big shark tank 🙂 I did too, but always wound up with the jellies.

Edited February 20, 2022 by Jawjagrrl

[Torrey]

If I were ever to own a home again **and** have the resources for a saltwater tank again, seahorses.

An octopus traveled home from the beach, once, so as a child we had a 6 month foray into saltwater tanks until the octopus was turned over to the Museum of Natural History and Science. It had been tiny, and was accidentally brought home in the shells and sand, along with live blue crabs. I don't remember what kind it was, I do remember freaking out in my mom's car when the suction cups on the tentacle latched onto my leg (bucket of live crabs was between my legs in the backseat, lol).

I love octopii, but they are too sentient to be made pets. It was infinitely happier when it was moved out of our tank and on to the museum. There was a 3 month period of time after the octopus was transitioned to the museum that molluscs kept disappearing. 

Turned out the octopus was leaving the quarantine tank via a small cut out in the lid, landwalking it's way over to the tank of molluscs, helping itself to the buffet, and returning to its own tank before the morning crew came in.

Seahorses can't cause that kind of trouble, are much better at staying in their tank, and have the coolest mating rituals. 

[Tanked]

On 2/20/2022 at 12:39 PM, Torrey said:

If I were ever to own a home again **and** have the resources for a saltwater tank again, seahorses.

An octopus traveled home from the beach, once, so as a child we had a 6 month foray into saltwater tanks until the octopus was turned over to the Museum of Natural History and Science. It had been tiny, and was accidentally brought home in the shells and sand, along with live blue crabs. I don't remember what kind it was, I do remember freaking out in my mom's car when the suction cups on the tentacle latched onto my leg (bucket of live crabs was between my legs in the backseat, lol).

I love octopii, but they are too sentient to be made pets. It was infinitely happier when it was moved out of our tank and on to the museum. There was a 3 month period of time after the octopus was transitioned to the museum that molluscs kept disappearing. 

Turned out the octopus was leaving the quarantine tank via a small cut out in the lid, landwalking it's way over to the tank of molluscs, helping itself to the buffet, and returning to its own tank before the morning crew came in.

Seahorses can't cause that kind of trouble, are much better at staying in their tank, and have the coolest mating rituals. 

PBS/BBC Earth recently aired a great 2019 program called Octopus: Making Contact.  A marine biologist takes Heidi home to a custom aquarium in his Maine living room.  I guess you have to be a member to see the uncut video, but YT is full of smaller snippets.

[jwcarlson]

Up until a week ago, it was discus.  But now I have a tank full of those.

Other than that, I think it would be cool to have a colony of Neolamprologus Ocellatus.  Over the course of time I've had a few situations in which I would have liked to have these, but have never been able to source them locally.  It's been about 10 years since I last looked and it seems like a LFS might have them (at least occasionally).  Maybe someday.  🙂

Thieved photo: 

Edited February 21, 2022 by jwcarlson

[Tanked]

Awesome little fish.  If you are a regular at a LFS or one of the smaller chain operations, they might be willing to order a few of them..

[Gumbo99]

For me is is probably the green chromis. I guess that is kind of lame, that is a readily available fish. Kind of like having a neon tetras as your holy grail fish in the fresh water world. I can't help but admire them every time I see them in a fish store or a public aquarium. Maybe one day I will scrape up some cash to start a fowlr tank..(not my picture).

 

[H.K.Luterman]

Schoutedeni puffer. I would love to have one, but the price tag is a little daunting. Also I just don't have space at the moment. But some day! 

[scott the fishman]

blue eye black plecko there hard to come by and very pricey!

[scott the fishman]

On 2/21/2022 at 9:50 AM, scott the fishman said:

blue eye black plecko there hard to come by and very pricey!